Regular physical activity contributes to better grades, says a study by researchers from Dundee University, published last week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Around 5,000 youngsters were monitored by the team since their births in the 1990s to the age of 16.
Researchers compared physical fitness with school performance at the ages of 11, 13 and 16 in the subjects of English, maths and science.
Children who had been more physically active at 11 performed better in all three phases and all three subjects.
Every 17 minutes of exercise per day at the age of 11 improved school marks for boys – with 12 minutes being the benchmark for girls – by the age of 16.
Fit girls, particularly, performed notably well in science classes.
“This is an important finding, especially in light of the current UK and European Commission policy aimed at increasing the number of females in science subjects,” said the study’s authors.
The study took into account ‘special factors’ that could have affected results, such as mothers who smoked during pregnancy or children born with a low body weight.
